


i wanted to fly (so you gave me your wings)

by endeavour



Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: BaekMin, Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Romance, and idgi????????, bc i can only ever write fluff nowadays why, but honestly the baekmin tag is eMPTY, cheese levels are high i can't believe i wrote this, i could only do angst when i was a teenager apparently, i need to vent about How Much I Love Baekmin somewhere, oh wait i can, so this is my contribution to both baekmin and my 'only one fic a year' clause, this is v v v v v v v cheesy i'm warning u
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-25 12:57:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12036339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endeavour/pseuds/endeavour
Summary: “It’s not like you’re going off to war.” Dongho mumbles, tugging lightly at the strands of Minhyun’s hair between his fingers. “Think of it as practice before enlistment. We’ll still get to see each other.”In which Minhyun sulks and Dongho is the voice of reason (for once).(post-P101, pre-debut Wanna One).





	i wanted to fly (so you gave me your wings)

**Author's Note:**

> i'm a long time nu'est fan, but newly converted baekmin shipper (bc i love pain and the angst of having to wait a year and a half before i get any proper baekmin content!!!!!!!!!!!). this is a result of me watching [this vid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgYsZSD7OIA) an unhealthy amount of times and then despairing over how there's so little baekmin on here. title taken from michelle branch's you set me free.

“Yah, Hwang Minhyun,” Dongho says the moment he enters their shared room. He walks over to Minhyun’s bed, where the other boy is sitting hunched over, knees pulled to his chest. “Why are you sulking?”

Instead of answering, Minhyun twists his entire body so he’s facing the wall. Dongho can’t help the bark of a laugh that escapes his lips at the action, so he sinks into the springs of the mattress, slinging one of his arms around the other boy and pulling him in closer.

“Come on,” Dongho says softly, feeling the way Minhyun melts into his touch, crumbles into his chest as easy as that. “Don’t be sad. Why are you sad?”

“You know why.” Minhyun’s voice is muffled against the broad reach of Dongho’s chest, and even through the thin layer of his tank top, he can feel the imprint of Minhyun’s mouth, bottom lip pushed out in a pout. It’s cute. Minhyun is always cute, but he’s also always good at denying how cute he is. It’s rare that Dongho gets to see him like this, soft and vulnerable, not sassing back at him like he’s usually so good at.

Dongho reaches out his other hand to pull Minhyun further into his embrace, fingers threading through the long hair at the nape of his neck, and Minhyun sinks into it even more, letting out a frustrated huff into Dongho’s collarbone. Dongho can’t help but smile despite how sad he is himself.

“It’s not like you’re going off to war.” Dongho mumbles, tugging lightly at the strands of Minhyun’s hair between his fingers. “Think of it as practice before enlistment. We’ll still get to see each other.”

“But it won’t be the same.” Minhyun whines, turning his face up to glare at Dongho. Even angry and sulky like this, he’s still the most beautiful person Dongho has ever seen. They’ve been through so much over the past eight years, but that’s something that’s always remained the same throughout the years.

“You’re going to gain so many new fans.” Dongho grins, letting go so he can look at his boyfriend properly. “And then you’re probably going to forget about all of us by the time it’s over. Which reminds me that I need to get your signature now. Wanna One’s Hwang Minhyun. I need something to remember you by after you leave me.”

Minhyun narrows his eyes. “You’re so full of nonsense.” He shoves Dongho away, but pulls him back again just as quick, like he’s afraid of letting go for too long. “You’re an idiot if you think that’s ever going to happen. You’re stuck with me.”

There’s a pause as he seems to gather his thoughts. “You deserve to be in there too. And Jonghyun. And Minki.” He says quietly, and Dongho can almost feel the guilt eating away at the younger boy. It’s stupid because what does he even have to feel guilty over? For being popular? Too handsome? Talented? There was never a doubt in Dongho’s mind that Minhyun would be chosen, and he refuses to let the other boy feel sad over it when this should be a _good_ thing. It’s what they were all working towards, and though it might be bittersweet, this is the reality of the situation. These things take sacrifice. It’s what they all signed up for going into this industry. It’s what they’d all resigned themselves to when they made the choice to go on the show in the first place.

“Yeah, and so did every other boy there that worked their ass off, but you were the one that got voted in. Not me, or Jonghyun, or Minki. Not any of the other kids who didn’t make the cut. _You_. And you deserve it too.”

Minhyun shrugs unconvincingly at that, but Dongho’s raised eyebrow has him rolling his eyes and muttering in the affirmative. “Yes, I know. I know.” It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, but Dongho will take what he gets, and he knows that Minhyun knows himself, somewhere deep down inside too, that it’s the truth.

“So stop sulking and finish packing. Do you need any help?” Dongho moves to stand up, but Minhyun is still clinging onto him like a koala. Dongho smiles, it’s a good thing that he works out because when he stands up properly, Minhyun’s still hanging off of him. Dongho doesn’t try to pry him off. He likes it the most when Minhyun gets like this, rare as it is, and he knows that it’s unlikely he’ll be getting this for another year and a half, so he’s just going to have to make the most of it while he can.

Minhyun’s arms wrap around Dongho’s shoulders, like some kind of half-assed piggy back, long legs dragging on the floor as Dongho makes his way over to his half-filled suitcase, only letting go with an exasperated sigh when Dongho moves to squat by it himself so he can swat away Dongho’s hands from messing up anything he’s already organised.

One of Dongho’s favourite hoodies is already packed away neatly in one of the corners, and he would say something about it but he knows that Minhyun needs the reassurance, and a beloved hoodie is a small price to pay at the end of the day. Minhyun tends to wear it more often than he does nowadays anyway.

His eyes follow the younger boy as he puzzles over his scattered belongings, frowning as he tries to fit everything in tetris-style, and it washes right through him like a wave (the way it always, always does) how _fond_ he is of the other boy. Seeing Minhyun in this light, when he’s tired to the bone — bags darker than ever under his eyes, zero traces of make up to cover up the slight patchiness of his skin — makes Dongho love him more than ever. The feeling of it overwhelms him, and you’d think that by now he’d be used to it, that it’d wash right past him without almost bowling him over, but there that familiar feeling is, still as strong as the first day he felt it.

As Minhyun continues tidying up his belongings, Dongho props his head on his boyfriend’s bony shoulder, and he feels the other boy go still under him. He pushes his nose into the crook of Minhyun’s neck and nudges at it affectionately. “You’re allowed to be happy too, you know.”

Minhyun leans his head back into him, and Dongho takes the opportunity to wrap his arms around the younger boy’s waist, pulling him in closer towards him.

“I know, and I am.” Minhyun says, and Dongho feels the rumble of his voice in his throat, kisses the skin there tenderly as he waits for Minhyun to continue. “It just feels weird. Not wrong…but not right either. I’m happy to be there, and I’m happy to be with the other guys too, but the five of us have been together for so long now that it’s hard to imagine doing this without any of you.”

“Hey.” Dongho pulls back, removing one of his hands from Minhyun’s waist so he can use it to tilt his head, splay his fingers across the back of his neck to cradle it, thumb worrying against the line of his jaw. The position forces Minhyun to look right at him, and the uncertainty of his gaze pierces Dongho’s chest in the most heartbreaking way. “We might not be physically there, but we’re always going to be _there_. The same way I know that you’ll always be here with us too.”

The crease between Minhyun’s eyebrows deepens, so Dongho drags him in closer, close enough that their foreheads are touching. “It’s kind of like..." he trails off for a second as he searches for the right words, "...like we’re your past and your future even if we can’t be your present right this moment. We're proud of you. And you’re _allowed_ to enjoy yourself! You’re _allowed_ to have fun! So make the most of it while you have the chance, okay?”

Once Dongho sees the slow upturn of Minhyun’s lips, he moves forward to peck at the corner of one side, moving away with a laugh when Minhyun tries to drag him back in closer. “This is what we wanted anyway, and we’re finally getting it. Maybe not in the way we were expecting, but we can adapt. We’ve done fine so far, and this is nothing in comparison. This is _good_. A new start for all of us, like what we’ve wanted since _Re:Birth_.”

This time when he moves forward to press his lips against his boyfriend, he lingers, kissing him deep. Minhyun winds his arms around him to hold him in place, but he has no desire to escape from this now. Especially when moments like these are already a rare enough occurrence as is. Dongho can’t help but grin into it, feeling the way that Minhyun does too, and when he does finally pull away, he opens his eyes to Minhyun’s toothy smile and it leaves him breathless, but what else is new.

“When did you get so wise?” Minhyun asks, bumping his forehead against him lightly, smile still etched on his face. Dongho engraves it into his memory. He could ask himself the same question. Minhyun’s usually the one doling out the advice. He’s usually the one that’s good at cheering the others up, and being the voice of reason. Dongho chalks it up to spending too much time around the younger boy, but in this case, he can’t really complain.

“I learned from the best?” He remarks cheekily, and it’s worth it to see the way Minhyun’s face lights up even more, grin stretching from ear to ear.

Minhyun reaches over to pinch at his cheek and Dongho makes a face. “Looks like I taught you well.”

Dongho rocks back from Minhyun’s hands, launching himself back onto the other boy’s bed so he’s out of reach for when Minhyun inevitably swipes at him for his next comment. “Just make sure you look after the boys, and don’t nag them as much as you nag us. Let the guys have a little fun too at least.”

Minhyun half scowls, but the turned up corners of his mouth give him away. “I take it back. You’ve still got a lot to learn.” He gives up on the suitcase, and climbs back onto his bed, making full use of his height to tower over Dongho, straddling him as the other boy tries to squirm away from being pinned down. “Good thing I still have a full day to teach you.”

“Don’t you need to finish packing?” Dongho manages to wheeze out as he tries to dodge Minhyun’s tickles to no avail, face bright and open, smile taking up half his face. It only makes Minhyun tickle him more, if only so he can prolong that smile for the rest of his days. Packing can wait.

-

(“Does that mean you have to call us sunbae now?” Dongho provokes once again, still out of breath when Minhyun’s finally settled down beside him, slender fingers curled in between the spaces of Dongho’s thicker ones.

It earns him a round two.

New start or not, there are some things that’ll never change.)

**Author's Note:**

> i was just minding my own business and then i was attacked with this [tweet](https://twitter.com/jetaimedongho/status/902098821768921088) right here and it's been over a week and i'm still crying. tHANKS DONGHO.
> 
> i'm aware that irl!minhyun was prob not even half as sulky as minhyun is in this, but let me have my cake and eat it!!!!!! i just wanted to write schmoop to heal my broken-for-the-next-year-and-a-half heart (sidenote: i also love wanna one and the other p101 boys so like i'm aware of how dramatic this is. but that sums me up to a tee).


End file.
